Masters Courses

Masters Courses in Clinical and Counselling Psychology

The Masters Courses in Clinical and Counselling Psychology at Rhodes University are professional training programmes that provides the foundation that will lead to registration as a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist with the Professional Board for Psychology of the Health Professions Council of South Africa. To achieve registration you are required to complete the following components to a satisfactory standard:

One year of academic and practical training;

A research dissertation;

A one year internship at an accredited training site;

The national examination set by the Professional Board for Psychology;

One year in a community service placement, a government paid post (currently for clinical students only).

Professional training at Rhodes was first offered in 1975 — to a single clinical psychology student — under the direction of Professor Dreyer Kruger. At that time, it was one of only two such programmes offered by English-medium universities. We now train twelve students annually, six in Clinical Psychology and six in Counselling Psychology.

We have attempted below to summarise the main features of Counselling and Clinical Psychology to help prospective students choose between the two. But please do note that while these are our best attempts to describe the distinction between Clinical and Counselling Psychology, these distinctions are the subject of ongoing debate.

Counselling Psychology

Counselling Psychology at Rhodes University is defined by our understanding of the HPCSA’s Scope of Practice of Counselling Psychology as well as the local and international literature on Counselling Psychology practice as follows:

Counselling psychology is a broad speciality in professional psychology that uses psychological knowledge to promote personal, social, educational, and vocational functioning to improve wellbeing and enhance growth, as well as to resolve crises, and alleviate typical life stresses and more severe human distress, including that associated with mental health and physical health concerns, of individuals, couples, families, groups, organisations and communities. Counselling psychologists bring a collaborative, developmental, wellness, and social justice perspective to research and practice. Psychological assessment, conceptualisation and intervention are conducted with due regard to locating people in their sociocultural contexts. In addition to assisting with the resolution of problems, counselling psychologists engage in prevention, psychoeducation and advocacy. For further information about the Masters in Counselling Psychology please contact the Programme Coordinator, Jan Knoetze J.Knoetze@ru.ac.za or 046 603 8344.

Clinical Psychology

The shape and form of Clinical Psychology at Rhodes University is influenced by the Scope of Practice of the Profession of Psychology and the Scope of Practice of Clinical Psychologists promulgated in 2011 by the Professional Board of Psychology of the HPCSA, as well as South African literature on clinical psychology training (Ahmed & Pillay, 2004; Kagee, 2006; Pillay & Kritzinger, 2007; Pillay, Ahmed & Bawa, 2013) and recent reviews of mental health services in South Africa (e.g. Lund, Peterson, Kleintjes & Bhana, 2012). In particular, our vision is that the domains of practice of clinical psychology include: assessing, diagnosing and intervening with clients experiencing life challenges, in particular those in psychological distress and/or with forms of psychopathology; the holistic management of serious mental disorders; applying evidence based psychological interventions to people with psychological or psychiatric conditions; developing practice and research in line with increasing access to humane mental health care which involves recognising the value of short term models of psychotherapy, systemic understandings and interventions, prevention of mental health problems alongside remediation, and a focus on social justice and social betterment as permanent agendas; the promotion of community mental health through less traditional roles such as providing support and training to primary mental health workers, and getting involved in advocacy initiatives, public information campaigns and policy work; and research practices that are locally relevant and directly influence clinical psychology practice. For further information on Masters in Clinical Psychology contact the Programme Coordinator, Alan Fourie at A.Fourie@ru.ac.za or 046 603 7382.

How to Apply for a place on the Masters Course in Counselling Psychology

Each year we select six student counselling psychologists. There is a great deal of competition for these places and applicants are advised to prepare their applications well in advance of the closing date.

‌The application forms and other documents for selection for the professional training programmes in Counselling Psychology starting in 2019 are listed below:

How to Apply for a place on the Masters Course in Clinical Psychology

Each year we select six student clinical psychologists. There is a great deal of competition for these places and applicants are advised to prepare their applications well in advance of the closing date.

The application forms and other documents for selection for the professional training programmes in Clinical Psychology starting in 2019 are listed below: